Drapery pleating device



May 21, 1963 J. J. CLAEYS ETAL DRAPERY PLEATING DEVICE Filed March 21 United States Patent 3,090,533 DRAPERY PLEATING DEVICE Julian J. Claeys, 24030 Deanhnrst, and Lillian Beatrice gfiallalcis, 2.4040 Deanhurst, both of St. Clair Shores,

Filed Mar. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 97,305 4 Claims. (Cl. 223-35) This invention relates to a device for measuring and forming pleats in drapery material and the like.

A principal object of the device is the provision of a template for measuring and spacing pleats in drapes, which template has a plurality of slots therein through which the drapery material may be inserted to measure both the size of individual pleats and the spacing between adjacent pleats, whereby the pleats and the spacing between pleats will be uniform throughout the drapery material.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a template for measuring pleats in drapes and the like, wherein the drapery material may be positioned in the slots of the template, and the pleat sewn into the material while so positioned, obviating the necessity of marking the material preparatory to its being sewn.

A further object is the provision of a template for measuring drapery pleats which has additional means thereon to facilitate the sewing of pinch pleats once the main pleat has been measured and sewn.

Other objects, advantages, and meritorious features will more fully appear from the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a drapery pleating device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pleating device showing the drapery material being inserted into the device to measure the initial pleat;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 showing the initial pleat in position to be sewn;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the drapery material positioned in the device preparatory to sewing a pleat spaced to the right of the initial pleat;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the drapery material positioned in the device preparatory to sewing a pleat spaced to the left of the initial pleat;

FIG. 6 is a perspective View showing one pleat positioned in the device being gathered and sewn to form a pinch pleat; and

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a drapery pleating device or template 10, which is made out of a flat sheet 12. The sheet .12 may be somewhat flexible perpendicular to the plane of the sheet, but should be rigid enough so that no deformation will occur along the plane of the sheet 12. A sheet of light metal such as aluminum or the like has been found to be most satisfactory. The sheet 1 2 is preferably rectangular, but in any event the edges 14 and 16 should be parallel to each other, for reasons that will become apparent from the following description. A first or primary pair of slots 18 and 20 in the sheet 12 have open ends 22 and 24 opening through one side of the sheet 12 and closed ends 26 and 28 spaced from an opposite side of the sheet. A second or secondary pair of slots 30 and 32 in the sheet 12 are simlarly shaped to the primary slots =18 and 20 and are positioned in between the primary slots. All of the slots have side edges which are parallel to each other.

The primary slots 18 and 20 lie parallel to the side edges 14 and 16 and are spaced respectively therefrom, a distance equal to the width of each pleat that is to be sewn into the material. The longitudinal dimension of the primary slots 18 and 20 is equal to or greater than the the slot 20. The template is ished pleat.

length of stitching sewn into the material to form the pleats. The secondary slots 30 and 32 are of a similar shape, but are preferably slightly smaller than the slots 18 and 20. The provision of different size slots facilitates the use of the device in that the user can easily see at a glance which slots perform the desired operation. In the drawings the slots 30 and 32 are shown as having their open ends opening through the same edge of the sheet 12 as the open ends 22 and 24 of slots 18 and 20. However, as is readily apparent, the position of slots 30 and 32 may be reversed, with their open ends opening through the opposite edge of sheet 12. Interposed between the closed ends of slots 30 and 32 is an aperture 34, positioned equidistant from the closed ends of the slots. The purpose for which the aperture 34 is used will more fully appear hereinafter.

Thus it will be seen from FIG. 1 that the spaced-apart slots 18, 20, 30 and 32 form arms in the sheet. The two arms 36 and 38 formed by the primary slots 18 and 20 are of a width equal to the width of the pleats in the drape. The central arm 40 is narrower than the arms 36 and 38, and is utilized in making pinch pleats, as is more fully hereinafter described. The width of arms 42 and 44 is relatively unimportant, the crucial dimension being the distance between slots 18 and 20, which determines the spacing between adjacent pleats.

FIGS. 2 through 7 show how the template 10 is used to make pleats in drapery material. In forming the first pleat the panel of material is folded in the center with the wrong sides of the material together. The arm 36 of template 10 is then inserted between the two thicknesses of material with the side edge 14 engaging the center fold, as shown in FIG. 2. The arm 36 is then pushed down between the layers of material until the top edge 46 of the material abuts the closed end 26 of slot 18, and the two layers of material sewn together within slot 18, as at 48 in FIG. 3. A sewing machine foot is indicated at 50 positioned to sew the center pleat 52 into the material. However, the sewing may be done by hand if desired, the important consideration being that the seam is sewn within then removed from the fin Once the first pleat has been sewn in the center of the panel of material as described above, the pleats to the right of center are sewn. The left arm 38 of the template is inserted in the finished pleat 52 positioned so that the seam 48 is visible within slot 20. The material to the right of seam 48 is then passed under the arms 44, 40 and 42 and drawn through the slot 18, over arm 36, tightly around edge 14 and thence back under arm 36. The method of inserting the template to sew the pleats to the right of the center pleat is shown in FIG. 4. When the material is in position the pleats are secured by sewing a seam within the slot 18. This procedure is repeated until all pleats to the right of the center pleat have been sewn. With the seam of the finished pleat positioned to be visible within slot 20, when the material is engaged by the template as described above, the distance between adjacent pleats is equal to the distance between slot 20 and slot 18. Thus uniform spacing between adjacent pleats is insured by following the above procedure.

In sewing pleats to the right of center, each completed pleat is positioned over arm 38, with the sewn seam visible in slot 20, as described, with the right side of the material facing the person sewing the pleat. In sewing pleats to the left of the center pleat, the material must be reversed, with the wrong side of the material facing the person making the pleats. To sew the first pleat left of center, the material is turned over, and the center pleat 52 positioned over arm 38, with that portion of material into which pleats have already been sewn put off to the left of the template as indicated at 54 in FIG.

5. The remaining material is then passed under the template, upwardly around edge 14, and is inserted downwardly through slot 18, as shown in FIG. 5. When the top' edge '46 of the material engages the closed end of slot 18, the pleat is formed by sewing a seam within the slot 18. Similar uniformly spaced pleats are sewn to the left of 'the center pleat 52 by inserting the arm 38 of the template within'the last completed pleat, positioning the material as above described, and sewing a seam within slot 18. Use of the device to form and space pleats in drapery material and the like gives excellent results. Each individual pleat made is identical to' the other pleats; the spacing between adjacent pleats is always equal; and the portions of material remaining adjacent opposite-edges of the piece of material are equal.

Whenpleats have been sewn in the drapery material entirely along the topedge 46 'of the material, it may be desired to make rufiies in the individual pleats. These are commonly known as pinch pleats and are indicated generally by numeral 56 in FIGS. 6 and 7. The arm 40 and the aperture 34 are provided to facilitate the making ofthe' pinch pleats 56'. As theoperation will be the same for making ruflles in each of the pleats, it will be de scribed in reference to the center pleat 52. The pinch pleat shown in the drawings-is shown as having three folds, but the pleat could be folded only twice if a twofold pinch' pleat were desired. To form the pinch pleat 56 within a main'pleat such as the center pleat- 52, thearm 40 is inserted into the pleat 52, with the top end 46 of the'ma'te'rial engagingthe closed ends of the'slots 30 and 32. The pleat 52 is positioned so that 'the seam of the pleat 52 is visible within the aperture 34. As the aperture 34 is positioned equidistant from the closed ends of slots 30"and 32, this assures that the pinch pleat will be substantially in the center of main pleat 52. The material overlying arm 40 is then pinched up tightly around the arm 40, and thepinch pleat folded into the material and held by the fingers of the person making the pleats. The pinch pleat 56 may then be secured by stitchingthe folds together, as shown at 58 in FIG. 6;

Similar pinch pleats may be formed in the remaining.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for making pleats in drapery material and the like comprising a fiat sheet member of rectangular configuration; a first pair of parallel slots in said sheet having open ends opening through one edge of the sheet and closed' ends spaced from an opposite edge of the sheet, said first pair of slots being parallel to the two remaining edges of said sheet, each of such first pair of slots spaced from its respective adjacent edge a predetermined distance to define an-arm around which said material may be folded embracing the arm to form a pleat, said first pair of slots being spaced from each other a distance greater than the spacing between either slot ing through one edge of the sheet and closed ends spaced from an opposite edge of the sheet, said second pair of slots spaced from each other a predetermined. distance lessthan the distance each of said first pair of slots is spaced from its respective adjacent edge; and an aperture in said sheet adjacent the closed ends of said second pair of slots and positioned centrally therebetween.

2; The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said slots havelongitudinally extending side edges which are parallel to 'each other.

3. The invention as defined in claim'l characterized in that said second pairof slots are dimensionally smaller than said first pair of slots.

4. A method of forming and sewing uniformly spaced pleats in drapery material and the-like employing a pleating device having a pair of similarly dimensioned and shaped, parallel, spaced-apart arms, comprising: folding said material upon'itself; inserting one of said arms between'the layers of material with an edge of saidarm engaging said fold line; sewing the layers of material together along said arm' at an opposite edge thereof from said fold line to form a pleat; with one of said arms positioned within said formed pleat, folding said material around the remaining arm embracing the arm; sewing the layers of material together along said remaining arm at the edge thereof adjacent said first mentioned arm to form a second pleat; and successively repeating the above steps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 672,487 Menahan Apr. 23, 1901 1,166,174 Bisbec Dec. 28, 1915 2,805,007 Aschbacher Sept. 3, 1957 2,849,773 Kaselow Sept. 2, 1958 

1. A DEVICE FOR MAKING PLEATS IN DRAPERY MATERIAL AN THE LIKE-COMPRISING A FLAT SHEET MEMBER OF RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION; A FIRST PAIR OF PARALLEL SLOTS IN SAID SHEET HAVING OPEN ENDS OPENING THROUGH ONE EDGE OF THE SHEET AND CLOSED ENDS SPACED FROM AN OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE SHEET, SAID FIRST PAIR OF SLOTS BEING PARALLEL TO THE TWO REMAINING EDGES OF SAID SHEET, EACH OF SUCH FIRST PAIR OF SLOTS SPACED FROM ITS RESPECTIVE ADJACENT EDGE A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE TO DEFINE AN ARM AROUND WHICH SAID MATERIAL MAY BE FOLDED EMBRACING THE ARM TO FORM A PLEAT, SAID FIRST PAIR OF SLOTS BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN EITHER SLOT AND THE RESPECTIVE ADJACENT EDGE OF THE SHEET; A SECOND PAIR OF PARALLEL SLOTS IN SAID SHEET HAVING OPEN ENDS OPENING THROUGH ONE EDGE OF THE SHEET AND CLOSED ENDS SPACED FROM AN OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE SHEET, SAID SECOND PAIR OF SLOTS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE LESS THAN THE DISTANCE EACH OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF SLOTS IS SPACED FROM ITS RESPECTIVE ADJACENT EDGE; AND AN APERTURE IN SAID SHEET ADJACENT THE CLOSED ENDS OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF SLOTS AND POSTIONED CENTRALLY THEREBETWEEN. 